NBA Inside Drive 2002

You saw it in Microsoft's E3 pamphlet, yet they never announced it -- until six months later, that is. NBA Inside Drive 2002 is finally amongst the line of official Xbox titles, and it's looking to rebound from a less than noteworthy debut on the PC (Inside Drive 2000) just a few years back. Can it complete with Sega's NBA2K2? Only time can answer that, but for now, feel free to check out some details fresh off the grill.

The Features:

All the players, teams, and stadiums of the NBA

Real-time coaching changes stradegy on the fly

Draft fantasy teams, trade and sign players as the GM

Assemble your own playbook from over two dozen plays

Rasheed Wallace looks cool in this game

NBA Inside Drive 2002 will offer you a Microsoft spin on the game of hoops with options for season, playoff, and exhibition modes of play, fantasy drafts, customizable playbooks and rosters (with individual playbooks for each team), user profiles, and more to help flesh out the options. Plus you've have the happy-go-lucky team of Marques Johnson from Fox Sports and Kevin Calabro calling the color and play-by-play shots from the booth.

On the court, Inside Drive 2002 looks to offer the complete experience with a focus on gameplay aspects other games seem to forget -- such as playcalling, for example. Using the real-time coaching feature, you'll be able to call plays and change defensive strategies on the fly without having to momentarily pause gameplay. There will be over two dozen plays to choose from -- four of which can be mapped to the d-pad for quick access -- to help you take advantage of the low post as well as dial long distance jumpers when the opportunity presents itself.

Gameplay will take into account every aspect of the NBA game -- this includes boxing out for rebounds, hand checking opponents to prevent break aways, posting up, setting screens, strafing -- the works. You'll also have to dive into your coaching options by double teaming big ballers like Shaq in the paint, applying pressure to hot hands like Kobe, and even switching up defenders to take away height and or speed disadvantages. On the offensive end, you'll have an assortment of deke's and fancy footwork to break ankles and show a little flash.

Graphics: Rasheed "don't mess with me" Wallace looks cool in this game. Yeah, I said that already, I'm aware -- but really. In fact, if the screen shots had shown his paws wrapped around the neck of a referee following a call he deemed inappropriate, I'd have had a hard time distinguishing fantasy from reality. Moreover, the wrinkles on his jersey are rivaled only by those of my own shirt, and yes, Reggie Miller still looks like a zombie. Simply put, Inside Drive 2002 looks like a polygonal powerhouse that's quite pleasing to the eye.

Outlook: At this point, there is no franchise mode in the game, so those looking for the simulation-heavy experience will have to rely on games like Sega's NBA2K2. As for the general hoops experience, Inside Drive seems to be on the right track to pleasing hardcore basketball gamers who want the real deal when it comes to coaching strategy, play calling, and pressure on the hard wood.

NBA Inside Drive 2002 is currently scheduled for an early 2002 release.